The Premier League race is over and relegation is decided – but the battle for the qualification in the Champions League remains wide open with only two laps to do. Only the Liverpool champions are so far guaranteed one of the five places to be won in the best club competition in Europe next season and Arsenal, second, was almost certain to join them. But only four points separate Newcastle, third from Nottingham Forest in seventh place. AFP Sport chooses the main discussion points before the action of the weekend in the English elite.
Newcastle aims to jump arsenal
Arsenal was closest to Liverpool during most of the campaign and a few weeks ago, it seemed that second place is locked.
But a victory for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle at the Emirates on Sunday would take the Magpies over the Gunners, who only won one of their last six championship games.
Newcastle, on the other hand, has been dynamic since he won the League Cup final against Liverpool in mid-March, losing only once in eight championship games since.
The 2-0 Sunday victory against the rivals of the first five, Chelsea, was a huge stride towards the qualification in the Champions League for the second time in three seasons.
“We still have two games to do and many twists and turns that could be at the corner of the street,” said Howe. “We have to move forward.”
The last Newcastle match on May 25 is a home game against Everton, while Arsenal goes to the Southampton background club.
Europa Final Focus A Bonus for Villa, Chelsea
Aston Villa and Chelsea have a chance to steal a walk in their first five rivals, with both in action on Friday, against the finalists of the Europa Tottenham and Manchester United.
Villa, which has maintained a good shape in the league despite the outings of the Champions League and the FA Cup in recent weeks, could end the day in fourth place with a home victory against the Spurs.
But Chelsea, who also has 63 points, would move just behind Newcastle, third, if they won, thanks to a better difference in goals.
United and Spurs are sitting just outside the relegation area after the terrible league campaigns and their attention will be fixed in the Europa League final next week in Bilbao, their managers likely to keep certain players wrapped in cotton.
Villa 1-0 victory in Bournemouth on the weekend has obtained a place in European competition, but Emery’s appetite for the Champions League was sharpened by a quarter-finish race this season.
The finalists of the UEFA conference League, Chelsea, could end the first season of Enzo Maresca at the top with European silverware and a return to the Champions League after two seasons.
Last chance for the forest
The two times European champions, Nottingham Forest, appear in the top four in most of the season, but fell in the worst time and are now foreigners to obtain football from the Champions League.
The damaging draw on Sunday 2-2 with relegated Leicester was another blow in their hope of returning to the competition for the first time in more than four decades.
The boss of the Nuno Espirito Santo forest does not give up hope while he takes his team at West Ham on Sunday, with Chelsea to follow in the last match of the season.
“Let’s see how it goes,” said the Portuguese manager, whose team has obtained European football for next season. “We have to focus on West Ham … I promise you that we are going to try and we will never give up.”
Man City Eye Florish at the end of the season
Manchester City, currently fourth in the Premier League, had to reset their expectations after a bad campaign according to their standards from top to bottom.
Despite their 0-0 surprise draw in Southampton last time, they remain likely to finish in the top five, with matches to come against Bournemouth and Fulham.
Pep Guardiola’s men only play in the Premier League until Tuesday, three days after facing Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final in Wembley.
“I did not expect a difference differently from a month ago, that it is a fight until the end,” said Guardiola, whose team failed to make five first league titles in a row.
Lighting
Friday
Aston Villa against Tottenham (1830 GMT), Chelsea against Manchester United (1915)
Sunday (1400 unless otherwise indicated)
Everton V Southampton (1100), West Ham against Nottingham Forest (1315), Brentford V Fulham, Leicester V Ipswich, Arsenal V Newcastle (1530)
Monday
Brighton against Liverpool (1900)
Tuesday
Crystal Palace against Wolves, Manchester City against Bournemouth (both 1900)
(This story has not been published by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a unionized flow.)
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